Serious Business
by Skypaw298
Summary: Excuse the title. It's awful. Anyway, this is gonna be at least 100k words, I hope, if I can stay with it. It's gonna be so awesome. (Is terrible at writing summaries, yes.)


**A/N: **I'm aiming for this to be an ambitious fic. Over 50k words, and at least up to 100k. I know it starts out slow, but I hope to pick up the pace a little next chapter. And I know it's short, but hopefully chapter 2 will be much longer. Anyway, enjoy!

-Skypaw298

ForestClan

Leader: Eclipsestar- long ginger tom

Deputy: Skygaze- creamy brown tom

Medicine cat: Lavenderwater- dark brown tabby she-cat

Warriors:

Mistwatcher- silver tabby tom

Scarletdapple- tortoiseshell she-cat

Owlstorm- mottled brown tom

Shadedream- black tom

Sharpeyes- bright orange tom

Slatedawn- grey she-cat

Pebblefeather- dark grey she-cat

Snowpetal-white she-cat

Rainysun- brown dappled tom

Goldenstep- golden she-cat

Yellowsky- golden tom

Sootflame- light grey tom

Apprentices:

Spottedpaw (talon)- spotted brown tabby tom

Ravenpaw (spirit)- black tom

Kestrelpaw (watcher)- mottled brown tabby tom

Meadowpaw (frost)- dark brown tabby she-cat

Fawnpaw (stripe)- mottled brown she-cat

DarkClan

Leader: Wolfstar- grey tom

Deputy: Chilltail- white tom

Medicine cat: Shiningember- golden she-cat

Warriors:

Fallenheart- silver tabby she-cat

Fleetflower- cream she-cat

Icespots- black she-cat with white specks on rump

Berrystep- light brown tom

Smokeseer- dark grey tabby tom

Diamondear- white she-cat with golden spots

Blackfeather- black tom

Flarestripe- ginger tom

Sparrowleaf- light brown she-cat

Riverleaf- stone grey tom

Apprentices:

Rockpaw (strike)- dark brown tom

Snowpaw (thorn)- white she-cat

Snakepaw (whisper)- light brown tabby tom

MoorClan

Leader: Cedarstar- mottled brown tom

Deputy: Scarletwish- ginger she-cat

Medicine cat: Roserain- russet she-cat

Warriors:

Brackendream- dark brown tom

Frostbreath- white she-cat

Hazeldust- light brown she-cat

Leafheart- light brown she-cat

Rainypath- creamy white she-cat

Shadowface- white tom with black face

Wildflame- bright ginger tom

Bramblefall- dark brown tabby tom

Stormleaf- light grey she-cat

Oakleap- brown tabby tom

Birchdapple- brown tabby tom

Apprentices:

Thrushpaw (wing)- black tom

Rainypaw (rose)- grey she-cat

Tigerpaw (spirit)- dark brown tabby tom

Goldpaw (cloud)- golden she-cat

StreamClan

Leader: Oakstar- russet brown tom

Deputy: Featherbreath- light grey she-cat

Medicine cat: Gorseripple- dark grey tom

Warriors:

Endlesssong- silver tabby she-cat

Sparkrain- golden brown she-cat

Tallmist- black and white tom

Flarestalker- ginger tom

Goldbird- golden she-cat

Hollowblaze- tortoiseshell she-cat

Shadeflame- black and orange tom

Cloverfang- dark grey she-cat

Windclaw- light grey tom

Apprentices:

Mistypaw (fern)- light grey she-cat

Dancingpaw (sun)- tortoiseshell she-cat

...

Chapter 1

...

The full moon shone down on the stone hollow that was filled with countless bodies of swarming cats. There would not be a single cloud in the sky to break this Gathering tonight, Ravenpaw was sure of it. After all, how could StarClan make a cloud appear out of thin air? They couldn't. So it wouldn't happen anyway. All the cats from different Clans seemed happy enough with one another. Everyone was sharing tongues, no fights were breaking out, no harsh words being said. All in all, a perfect night for a Gathering.

The black tom slipped between two of his Clanmates on his way over to a cluster of apprentices. He scented the air. Two were DarkClan and one was StreamClan. He sat next to a pretty tortoiseshell she-cat. She smelled of StreamClan. "Nice night for a Gathering, huh?" he commented to her.

The she-cat nodded. "It is," she mewed.

Ravenpaw stared a little awkwardly. Now what? He wasn't used to having conversations with cats from other Clans, even though this was his third Gathering. He'd been training for four moons, but wasn't able to go to the previous Gathering as he was chosen to stay behind to guard the camp. He didn't guard anything, instead falling asleep in his nest. He supposed "guarding" the camp just meant the leader didn't want anyone to feel left out or excluded from the Gathering, giving them a job to do instead.

Ravenpaw licked his chest fur. Why wasn't the apprentice saying anything else? She seemed competent enough to carry on a conversation without his help. "Uh…" he began.

"I'm Dancingpaw," the she-cat interrupted, smiling a little. "I suppose you aren't very used to talking to cats from other Clans, huh?"

She'd gotten it spot on. Ravenpaw flushed warmly under his fur. "Er, I'm Ravenpaw," he managed to squeak. Great, now she would think he was just a kit, recently apprenticed. "I've seen you at the Gatherings a few times before, and I, uh… you're very pretty," he blurted out. StarClan! Why were they letting him say these things? Why couldn't the Gathering start already? Hadn't he embarrassed himself enough?

Dancingpaw's soft eyes lit up in amusement. "Thank you, Ravenpaw," she mewed. "You're rather charming, yourself."

Just as Ravenpaw was about to open his mouth to say something back, a loud yowl cut off his words: "Cedarstar! Explain yourself!" It was Oakstar, the StreamClan leader.

The two swiveled around to face the Great Stone, to see what was going on. The large russet brown tom looked absolutely thunderous. His tail was lashing back and forth furiously, and his whiskers were twitching in anger.

Cedarstar merely dipped his head to the StreamClan tom. "Explain what?" he growled.

Oakstar drew himself up, his fur puffed out to look twice his size. His voice was so low that some cats in the clearing had to strain to hear it. "Why you invaded my Clan a quarter moon ago."

A collective gasp came from the cats settled around the Great Stone. Many started whispering amongst each other, and sending glares towards the MoorClan cats standing off to the side. The sleek-furred cats of MoorClan looked exasperated and angry to be accused of invading.

Cedarstar started to look angry as well. "We did no such thing!" he meowed loudly.

Oakstar raised an eyebrow. "Then explain why most of my cats come here with wounds on their pelts," he snarled.

"Maybe they fell into some brambles," the MoorClan leader taunted.

"Also explain why there is still MoorClan scent in our camp!" thundered Oakstar.

Cedarstar had no answer.

Ravenpaw nudged Dancingpaw and quietly asked, "Is this true?"

Dancingpaw flinched. "Of course," she mewed, her eyes burning.

The black apprentice simply nodded and looked up at the sky for guidance. StarClan, please help us! he pleaded. Then he noticed a wisp of cloud across the moon. Obviously StarClan didn't approve of this Gathering so far.

But wait, the sky was clear just a few moments ago...How did a cloud suddenly show up?

Ravenpaw just chalked it up to his imagination. He turned his attention back to the conflict in front of him.

The two leaders were now glaring daggers at one another, as neither agreed to say that they were wrong. The ForestClan leader stepped between them, and looked up at the sky. "StarClan has sent us a sign!" he called. "They wish for us to stop arguing."

Several cats looked fearfully up at the bit of cloud in front of the moon, and relaxed visibly. However, some cats still took an aggressive stance against the MoorClan cats. And the two quarrelling leaders still didn't back down.

Slowly, the wind picked up, and more clouds drifted in front of the moon. Soon, it was completely blocked and Eclipsestar hung his head. "The Gathering is over," he cried out. "Every cat go back to your Clans."

Oakstar and Cedarstar glared at each other, then leapt down from the Great Stone, signaling their Clans to go with them. Dancingpaw murmured goodbye, looking as if something was on her mind, and went with her Clan.

"Bye," Ravenpaw muttered, and looked up as Eclipsestar and Wolfstar conferred with one another quickly, then jumped down from the Stone. Eclipsestar flicked his tail for his Clan to go with him, and Ravenpaw got to his feet, following his leader.

This wasn't over yet. And Ravenpaw was afraid.


End file.
